Live music, festivals, art walks, surf contests, trail days and everything in between.
In-person only, on purpose. Everything here is something you can actually show up to. No screens, no streams.
β
Featured Event
Phamily Time, presented by Phreeborn is back with a summer edition you wonβt want to miss. There will be something for everyone, so bring the whole phamily! Get tickets for the whole day celebration here: TICKETS
Beati Quorum, a new and growing Ensemble, is seeking new local members. Beati Quorum is a small, hybrid professional / volunteer ensemble based in Santa Cruz. We focus on a cappella singing, Renaissance through contemporary works, and collaborations with artists from our local network to international groups. Visit www.beatiquorum.org to set up an audition today.
β
Featured
The Tony Award-Winning San Francisco Mime Troupe Opens their 67th Season with: WRECKAGE: A Musical Tragicomedy July 3 β Sept. 7, 2026
Coming up
The first annual Aloha Music & Arts Festival Santa Cruz will take place Friday, July 31, and Saturday, Aug. 1, from 12 p.m. to 6 p.m. each day at Santa Cruz County Fairgrounds, bringing together local musicians, hula schools, artists, food vendors, and community organizations for a weekend celebrating Hawaiian, Polynesian, and Pacific cultures. Gates open daily at 11 a.m. Admission to the festival is free. Donations are welcome. Parking will be available for $20 per vehicle. No in-and-out privileges will be allowed, and re-entry fees will be enforced. Produced by Victor Ohana Productions LLC, the festival aims to celebrate the Spirit of Aloha while creating a new cultural tradition for the Central Coast community. Organizers say the event was created to strengthen connections among local Polynesian communities, while offering residents and visitors a new summer cultural experience in Santa Cruz County. βThis festival is about bringing people together through music, dance, food, art, and community,β said Marie Victor, founder of Victor Ohana Productions. βSanta Cruz has deep cultural and historical connections to HawaiΚ»i through surf culture and the ocean lifestyle. We wanted to create an event that celebrates those shared influences while showcasing the incredible local talent we have here in Northern California.β Rather than featuring a national headliner, the festival will spotlight local bands and performers from throughout Santa Cruz County and the surrounding region. Organizers said the focus of the event is community participation and cultural authenticity. Festival attendees can expect: β Food vendors featuring Pacific-inspired cuisine β Local arts, crafts, and merchandise vendors β Information booths from community nonprofits and organizations β Family-friendly cultural activities and entertainment Local Live Music β Victor Ohana 3 Generations β Ho' Omana β Hunawai β Kanalu β Laule'a Hawaiian Band β Ka La'i O Mele β George Kahumoku Jr (Grammy Award Winner in
Coming up
Feel the rhythm of Hawaiian Music with live performances both Friday and Saturday. Enjoy Polynesian inspired dance and vibrant performances throughout the festival. Savor a curated selection of local food vendors serving up dishes and community favorites. Browse a vibrant marketplace of local artisans, handcrafted goods, and unique finds from vendors across the county. Open from noon to 6pm both Friday and Saturday. Although the event entry is free, parking at the venue is $20 per vehicle.
63 events on today. No plans required, just go.
Filter by category, date, or area. Everything listed is in person, county-wide.
Showing 30 of 50 upcoming events Β· Food & Drink Β· from 2026-07-31 Β· to 2026-08-07
The Watsonville Farmers Market is every Friday afternoon from 2-7 all year round at the City Plaza in Downtown Watsonville. Donβt miss out on the wonderful locally grown fresh fruits, vegetables and flowers. Bring your appetite as there are tons of delicious prepared foods to try.
Go Celebrate all the vibrancy of Midtown at the Summer Block Party, happening every Friday! Food β Artists β Live Music β Vendors The summer series of free events will feature the talents of 30+ local bands. In addition to live music, event goers will enjoy a selection of local eats as well as the opportunity to check out the work of local artists and vendors. Midtown Fridays starts May 29 to August 28.
Head to Skypark in Scotts Valley for the areaβs largest food truck festival! Lots of excitement, more food vendors, the fabulous SVEF Beer & Wine Garden, amazing Live Music and face painting! Music Lineup: β’ April 24 (Starts 4:30 PM) β Music by Shady Rest Band β’ May 29 β Music by The Swag Tones β’ June 26 β Music by Fire Peach β’ July 31 β Music by Identity Problem β’ August 28 β Music by Cringe β’ September 25 (Starts 4:30 PM) β Music by Paperback Ryders β’ October 30 (Starts 4:30 PM) β Music by Dadbeats
Kickoff of the Watsonville Strawberry Festival on Main Street, featuring the start of a weekend celebrating the region's berry harvest.
Aloha, Youβre InvitedβSummer Luau by the Beach! Dress in your best Hawaiian attire and enjoy a tropical buffet, live music, hula dancers, and fun for all ages. Perfect for families, date nights, or those wrapping up their fun day at the Boardwalk! Schedule 6pm Doors Open 6pm-6:30pm Appetizers 6pm-7:30pm Live Music 6:30pm-7:30pm Tropical Buffet Station 7:30pm Hula Dancers $69.95 + tax - Adult $45.95 + tax - Child (2-8) Upgrade to Premium seating! $79.95 + tax - Adult Premium Seating $55.95 + tax - Child (2-8) Premium Seating Reserve your spot today: https://bit.ly/Boardwalk-Luaus-s Online reservations are available up to one week before the event or until sold out. - Adult beverages available for purchase. - Each attendee will also receive a colorful lei!
Enjoy a festive Summer Luau by the beach! Dress in your best Hawaiian attire and enjoy a tropical buffet, live music, hula dancers, and fun for all ages. Perfect for families, date nights, or just wrapping up a fun day the the Boardwalk!
Come enjoy picking your own organic strawberries and/or flowers at the campus farm! When: U-picks will take place on Saturdays from 9am to 12pm, July 11βAugust 22, or while supplies last. PLEASE NOTE that u-pick will not occur on Saturday, July 4. Where: Free parking will be available in the Hay Barn lot or lot 115/116 during u-pick hours. Please do not park in the dirt lot at the farmβs back gate. Please walk to the check-in table near the strawberries/flowers at the farm to pre-pay and collect your u-pick container(s). We will have directional signage displayed. There is one ADA parking spot on the farm. The UCSC Farm has uneven, hilly terrain. If you require accommodations to fully participate, please email [email protected] and we will do our best to accommodate. Cost: UCSC students with valid ID get 25% off produce. Strawberry pints β $4 each Strawberry flats (12 pints) β $44 Flowers β $25 for 32oz deli container Flower buckets β $75 Payment: Credit card payments only (you will need a smartphone to scan a QR code and enter your card info manually). Dogs are not allowed on the UC Santa Cruz campus (service animals are OK).
Classic cars and coffee every Saturday morning, in East Lake Village Shopping Center. It doesn't get much better. Come walk around the expansive parking lot, look at some beautifully restored cars, drink delicious coffee, and visit with your community. Stay awhile and enjoy one of the many great eateries in the shopping center!
Held on the first Saturday of each month from June through October, this vibrant market offers fresh produce, handmade crafts, delicious foods, and live music. Enjoy family-friendly activities and meet talented local creators. Whether youβre shopping for unique goods, savoring local flavors, or simply soaking in the atmosphere, the Village is a must-visit event.
Saturday, August 01 2026 10:00am - 4:00pm Enjoy shopping for books and crafts, live music, food trucks, local craft beers, and more at the Books & Brews event at the the La Selva Beach Clubhouse and Florido Lawn from 10 am to 4 pm.
Roaring Camp presents the Annual Brewgrass Festival featuring local breweries, music from favorite bluegrass artists, and food from our popular local food trucks. VIP Brewgrass Tasting Train roundtrip from Santa Cruz to Roaring Camp. Line-up Info Coming Soon. ACTIVITIES Optional Tasting Train Live Music Craft Beer & Cider Local Food Vendors Free Kids Activities
Enjoy summer weekend afternoons at the beautiful Nicholson Vineyards! Saturdays from noon to 5pm β Enjoy perusing art from local artists Sundays from 1pm to 4pm β Enjoy listening to local musicians Pack a picnic spread, gather your friends and family, and sip on their refreshing summer wine flight, featuring the best of our warm-weather selections. Book your reservation today! July 11 & 12: The Clay Chalet and music by Dos Bros July 18 & 19: Indigo and Vine and music by Jo Coleman July 25 & 26: Sour Sammy Sourdough and music by Six String Mixtape August 1 & 2: Scout and Sea and music by Half Pass August 8 & 9: Lili Arnold Studios and music by Eden Edell August 15 & 16: Desert Moon Design and music by Kip Allert August 22 & 23: Papelline Jewelry and music by Zach Bailey August 29 & 30: Anna Gail Designs and music by Jeff Smith September 5 & 6: All You Knead and music by Cake Party!
Through the hands-on exploration of a bustling beehive on Chaminade's grounds, you will learn about the intriguing world of honey bees in a way that very few get to experience. Your hive tour, led by Northern Roots Bee Co.βs professional beekeepers, will include suiting up in beekeeping attire and learning about the different roles and contributions that bees make in the colony. Weβll finish the experience with a honey tasting where participants delight in the nuanced flavors of varietal honeys. This experience is open to overnight resort guests and community members.
Get out the ten-gallon stetson and ride your horse to the rural outpost of El Vaquero Winery to experience the joy of Lacy J. Dalton. Dalton has a tips-to-tours origin story, starting as a waitress in the mountains of Santa Cruz and eventually performing on stages worldwide. Dalton has seen all the trends since she first reached the charts in 1979 and remains true to her roots. Sixteen Top Twenty hits came fast and furious through the 1980s. One thing about real country singers is they never forget their roots and anytime Dalton returns itβs a celebration. Featuring favorites Michael Gaither & His New Best Friends. -DNA; Good Times Santa Cruz
5:30-7:30pm Love Creek is a folk-rock/jam band from Santa Cruz, California. Current band members consist of Malakai Lawton (vocals/guitar), Alex Bahler (lead guitar), Ryan Jensen (bass/vocals), Ed Levy (keys), and Rob Borella (drums). Love Creek pulls from a musical headwaters of jam band and folk rock influences, creating original material that is both heartfelt and powerful, both lyrically and instrumentally. Along with a growing repertoire of original songs, Love Creek also performs music written by artists such as: Grateful Dead, Allman Brothers Band, Jerry Garcia Band, The Cure, Van Morrison, Marshall Tucker Band, Rusted Root, America, as well as many others.
As the summer season continues and the crowds at the markets grow there are more vendors and greater selection. Are you taking advantage of the best the area has to offer? Selection, quality, and freshness are all on your list of preferences and they are all at the Farmers markets. So find your way to one of the markets and see what you may have been missing. More markets and dates are available at https://www.montereycfb.com
As the summer season continues and the crowds at the markets grow there are more vendors and greater selection. Are you taking advantage of the best the area has to offer? Selection, quality, and freshness are all on your list of preferences and they are all at the Farmers markets. So find your way to one of the markets and see what you may have been missing. More markets and dates are available at https://www.montereycfb.com
For a more casual local draw, Low Tide features weekly dining specials including The Monday Slice ($20 signature pizzas), Wine Down Wednesdays (Β½ price bottles under $80), and Sunday Golden Hour offerings (4PM-6PM with $6 draft beer and house wine)
A small but mighty amazing community market. In beautiful Corralitos, which is located in south Santa Cruz county. The country feel is real with local produce, local flowers, local honey, baked goods, plants, crafts, and so much more. An amazing Jewel hidden in the south County of Santa Cruz also we are right next to Aldridge Park and the famous Corralitos meat market. See you all there. Rain or Shine. Located 127 Hames Road Corralitos 11-3pm plenty additional parkiing @Aldridgepark
Enjoy summer weekend afternoons at the beautiful Nicholson Vineyards! Saturdays from noon to 5pm β Enjoy perusing art from local artists Sundays from 1pm to 4pm β Enjoy listening to local musicians Pack a picnic spread, gather your friends and family, and sip on their refreshing summer wine flight, featuring the best of our warm-weather selections. Book your reservation today! July 11 & 12: The Clay Chalet and music by Dos Bros July 18 & 19: Indigo and Vine and music by Jo Coleman July 25 & 26: Sour Sammy Sourdough and music by Six String Mixtape August 1 & 2: Scout and Sea and music by Half Pass August 8 & 9: Lili Arnold Studios and music by Eden Edell August 15 & 16: Desert Moon Design and music by Kip Allert August 22 & 23: Papelline Jewelry and music by Zach Bailey August 29 & 30: Anna Gail Designs and music by Jeff Smith September 5 & 6: All You Knead and music by Cake Party!
For a more casual local draw, Low Tide features weekly dining specials including The Monday Slice ($20 signature pizzas), Wine Down Wednesdays (Β½ price bottles under $80), and Sunday Golden Hour offerings (4PM-6PM with $6 draft beer and house wine)
This is the place to be on Tuesday! This weekly jam fest features rotating bands, open jam sessions, vendors, activities and all the dance vibes you can manage. Bring your instrument and your dancing shoes!
It's Monday Open Mic at the Ugly Mug! Sign ups at 5p Beer, Espresso Drinks and Desserts available
The Game Night Collective provides a curated experience. Every Monday night with a library of 30+ board games, guided game teaching, hosted featured games, and prizes! Whether you arrive alone or with a group, the goal is to make it easy to sit down and start playing. Hosted micβd board games 5 β 8 Trivia 8 β 10
The Felton Farmersβ Market is a treasured weekly gathering place β started in 1987 it is the second longest running market in Santa Cruz County. SCCFM took over operations in 2009 and our team has developed deep ties to the community. Every Tuesday a quality collection of regional farms and food businesses throw up their tents to sell a colorful array of fresh fruits and vegetables, meats, eggs, artisanal bread, seafood and other staple foods. Connecting residents directly with local farms, the Felton Market is an essential part of the regional food system as well as a resource for nutritious organic foods and basic agricultural education.
As with everything we do, we bring the fun! This isnβt your average ordinary trivia. Itβs βBrunoβs Styleβ. We sing, we play instruments, we dance and we drink. Fill up on Tacos and Margs and get ready for a night of fun! β If youβre looking for a quiet night with boring trivia for the brainiacs you wonβt find it at Brunoβs. With musical clues for our players β we have the most fun trivia around. We turn the music up loud and we make a lot of noise! Itβs free to play with prizes for the winners. With $3 tacos and the buy a Margarita or Modelo and get a free taco deal, youβre going to have a great night at the best bar in town. Bring your friends and form a team or come by yourself and make some new friends, youβll have a blast!
Join us for Trivia Tuesdays at Discretion! Every Tuesday 6:30-8:00pm Hosted by Michael Cahalan Pair one of our 16 beers on tap with some lively Trivia, every Tuesday at 6:30pm. No sign-ups required - just come a little early to snag a table in the beer garden. Free to play | Prizes | Up to 6 per team
Schoolβs about to start and we all want to get the children off to school with the best start possible. Where to find the best produce and veggies? You know, itβs the farmers markets all around the area. They have friendly, knowledgeable people and easily the best of fresh and interesting fruits. There are lots of other vendors selling interesting things to consider and buy for gifts. More locations and dates are available at https://www.montereycfb.com
Every Wed from 4 to 8 pm at our Downtown Santa Cruz Tasting Room + Wine Bar Join us for a night of wigging out in Downtown Santa Cruz! Wear a wig, and weβll have a surprise for you. Weβll play cool music, games, trivia, and much more! Letβs wig out and keep Santa Cruz weird! Wig Out Wednesday Special: 2 empanadas and a glass of wine (Riesling, Rose, or Homestead) for $19.
The Plateau Jazz Band plays 20s -40s swing dance jazz at Woodhouse Brewing from 5:30-8:30 on Wednesday July 1st. Listen, lesson, dance, dine and drink. Bob Folker teaches a half hour introductory/intermediate swing dance lesson from 5:30-6, the band plays for the dancers till 7, then Bob teaches a second half hour lesson and the band plays another hour long set of music. Things wrap up around 8:30 or so. Listening is free. Lessons and dance $10 The Plateau Jazz Band is a six-piece traditional jazz band from Santa Cruz, California. They play New Orleans influenced, Preservation Hall inspired, prohibition era swinging dance jazz. Their repertoire includes hot jazz songs like Dr. Jazz & That's a Plenty, blues tunes like St. Louis Blues & St. James Infirmary Blues, and swing dance standards like Blue Skies, Dinah, & Iβm Going to Sit Right Down (and write myself a letter).
20 more events further out
If it's happening in person anywhere in Santa Cruz County, whether it's a show, a market, a paddle-out, or a gallery night, we want it on the calendar. Submissions are free and reviewed by our editors.
Submit your event β